Career Day
by Marauder-In-Disguise
Summary: There's only one person Naomi wants to invite to speak to her class...


_**A/N – **_**My first Voyager in a long time – I haven't really been feeling it lately :( Sort of a sequel to my previous story 'Naomi's First Day' but you don't need to have read that for this to make sense! Written for TB in the VAMB Secret Summer 2011.**

**Disclaimer – Not mine! :)**

"Okay then, let's settle down!"

Mister Gibson, the third grade teacher waved his hands and his young charges settled down almost straight away. He took a quick scan of the room, searching for quiet wayward behaviour, and found instead twenty well behaved and expectant young faces gazing back at him.

Seated at the very front, where he could keep an eye on her, was his youngest pupil. He'd been unsure about Naomi being skipped into his class, what with her being a good couple of years younger than the rest of the children, but the little girl had proven herself over the last few weeks. Confident, fiercely intelligent and very likable, the older children had taken to her and accepted her quite readily. Of course, it helped that she was a minor celebrity, at least in the eyes of the children.

_Naomi was on Voyager._

_Naomi knows Captain Janeway._

_Naomi was friends with Borg children._

He'd let the rumours spread, carefully monitored of course, figuring that they couldn't hurt the girl's standing in the elementary school food chain.

"Right then," he clapped his hands together, "Next Friday we don't have any lessons."

He paused and let the inevitable cheer die down before continuing.

"Instead, the whole school is having a Career Day. We'll have some moms and dads come in and tell us all about their jobs, and we'll talk about what we might like to do when we're grown up."

"Do all our parents have to come in, Mister Gibson?" one boy asked worriedly, "Only my mom doesn't have a job and-"

"It's all right George," the teacher said reassuringly, "We only have time for five or six speakers, so I'll send all of your parents a message and then I'll choose out of the people who say yes. Now, that's enough about that. It's time for some math."

Despite the excitement of his announcement, the majority of his class seemed to have processed the news and settled down to the lesson with ease. All except one. Naomi, her Ktarian brow only adding to the look of perplexion on her face, seemed distracted and didn't participate in the discussion and answering of questions like she normally did. He didn't try to get her to join in; normally she was such a proficient member of the class that she could be allowed a little slack now and again. At the end of the session the rest of the class careered out of the room for recess, and Mister Gibson called Naomi before she got to the door.

"Can you stay behind a moment, Naomi?"

"Sure, Mister Gibson," she nodded, heading back towards him, "Did I do something wrong?"

Her anxious tone, so sincere, made him smile slightly and he shook his head.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he said, "You just seemed like you were thinking about something during math. You want to talk about it?"

Well," she bit her lip, "You know what you said about Career Day?"

"Yes?"

"Does it have to be moms and dads who come in and talk to us?"

"No. it doesn't have to be," he said, fighting to keep his face straight. He'd learned long ago that the things children perceived to be problems should not be taken lightly, "Why do you ask?"

"I just had an idea, that's all. I might know someone else who would want to come."

"Well, as long as they answer my message they would be welcome. Who is it?"

"I don't want to tell you yet," she smiled, skipping towards the door and looking back over her shoulder, "It can be a surprise!"

_**-CAREERDAY-**_

"Well I don't know, sweetheart," Samantha said, when Naomi got back from school and told her about her plans for Career Day, "She's very busy at the moment."

"Can I ask her at least?" Naomi implored, her eyes wide, "You always say it doesn't hurt to ask."

"Sure you can," Samantha nodded, wondering exactly when her daughter had realised that her mother was entirely unable to argue with her own advice, "You know the code?"

"Yeah."

Scrambling up to the terminal that sat in the corner of the kitchen, Naomi confidently punched in the code and waited eagerly for someone to answer. The logo on the screen rearranged itself to reveal the stern Vulcan face of Ensign Darak. Naomi had talked to the man enough times that he knew her now and he nodded in greeting.

"Miss Wildman. I shall see if she is available to speak with you."

Whatever conversation he held at his end of the line didn't last long, because the screen shifted again and Naomi found herself looking into the welcome face of Captain Kathryn Janeway. She grinned and gave a little wave.

"Naomi," the captain said, leaning forwards to get a better look at the screen, "What a surprise! Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I just have something to ask you."

"And what would that be?" Kathryn said in amusement. It was refreshing to speak to someone else who had no time for bureaucratic games and knew how to cut to the chase.

"We're having a Career Day at school next Friday, and I thought you could come. All my friends ask me about you all the time."

Naomi's face was so hopeful that Kathryn felt she'd rather be kicking a puppy than about to say what she had to say.

"Oh Naomi, I can't. I've got a big meeting next Friday. I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," Naomi said, her voice catching slightly despite the brave smile she had put on her face, "Mom said you might be busy."

"I really am sorry," Kathryn sighed, wishing she could give the youngster a hug, "But I will come and see you soon, okay? Or maybe you can come and have dinner with me. I'll invite Icheb as well."

"That sounds really good, Captain. I'll see you soon then."

"Yes. I hope you have a good day anyway."

_**-CAREERDAY-**_

The classroom on the next Friday looked slightly different to usual; Mister Gibson's desk had been pushed to the side and a big chair had been placed in front of the interactive screen that the teacher used for teaching his lessons. There was a general buzz in the room, children talking about the people who were coming in to visit today, and Naomi was proud that of all the Starfleet parents who had said they would attend, Mister Gibson had chosen her mom to be the last speaker and the only person from Starfleet.

The day was interesting; besides a doctor, an archaeologist who bought a case full of fossils and bones, an architect and a father who worked at an old fashioned factory hand - building machinery, the highlight of the day was a keeper at a centre for endangered animals. She bought three cages with her; a glistening snake which patiently allowed itself to be draped around the necks of most of the children, a tarantula which only a handful of the pupils would touch and only three - Naomi included – would hold, and a very small golden monkey who capered around the room and amused everyone greatly by settling on Mister Gibson's shoulder and refusing to get into the cage until offered a handful of berries.

As the keeper packed up her charges and the chronometer ticked by, getting closer to Samantha's allotted time, Naomi shifted in her seat and tried unsuccessfully to peer out of the door. But then the keeper left, and Samantha's time of arrival ticked past. Naomi frowned; it was unlike her mother to be late for anything, let alone something that she knew was so important to her daughter. Mister Gibson seemed unconcerned though, and began an animated discussion about favourite animals to fill the time. Despite herself, Naomi just had to join in, in order to outline the many merits of the bearded dragon, and so the first she knew of anyone coming into the room was the click of the door and the gasps of the children who happened to be looking in that direction.

"It's Captain Janeway!" one of the girls said, practically bouncing in her seat, "Look everyone!"

Samantha was stood at the front of the room, shoulder to shoulder with a grinning Kathryn Janeway. Both reached out to shake the hand of a bemused looking Mister Gibson, and Kathryn said, "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, Mister Gibson. My schedule cleared unexpectedly, so I thought I'd come along."

"Not at all," he laughed, sweeping a vague hand to indicate the horde of excited children, "I don't think I could ask you to leave even if I wanted to!"

Kathryn then turned to Naomi, the only child in the room who didn't have an enormous smile on her face and wondered suddenly if her visit had been such a good idea; if the youngster had found herself looking forward to Samantha's talk, she could be disappointed.

"Naomi," she coaxed, "I can leave if you want me too. Your mom would be happy to take over. I can just say hi and go."

The room collectively held its breath, even Mister Gibson eying Naomi with some element of apprehension. Naomi was silent just long enough for Kathryn's smile to slip, before she leapt up from her desk suddenly and threw her arms around the captain's waist. With a slightly shaking breath, Kathryn stroked the little girl's hair; she had fought the worse races of alien that the galaxy had to offer, and won, but no one had ever quite been able to get under her skin like Naomi could.

"I take it you want me to stay?" she said airily, lifting Naomi's chin to look at her.

"Yes please."

"Well go and sit down then. I imagine we've got a lot to get through."

Mister Gibson watched in admiration as the captain thoroughly took control of the room, pitching a presentation to the children that was perfectly at their level and then patiently taking questions that ranged dramatically in eloquence. And the whole time Naomi was staring at the woman with no small amount of awe. It was plain to see that Kathryn Janeway was the little girl's hero and, indeed, the hero of most of the small people in the room.

And, if he was totally honest with himself, maybe the hero of one of the big people in the room as well.


End file.
